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The Ivy has always had a little glitter about it. It attracts an interesting, quirky crowd. It is frequently dotted with celebrities." The interior and image of The Ivy is known for its beautiful Art Deco-inspired design. Has it always been as such? 'I decided to re-furbish four years ago, not as an update of the same, which of course, over time, would become more and more old fashioned. That would have ended up with us just having an older clientele. So one of Richard Caring's and my own objectives was to retain our appeal to an older crowd but importantly, be relevant to a younger crowd. The Ivy has become more easily accessible.' Fernando cites the example of putting the bar at The Ivy Restaurant in the middle of the dining room, immediately sending the subliminal message that you can pop into The Ivy for a drink, rather than booking months in advance. 'That was us demonstrating the idea, and it was essential to get this across.'
“ The Ivy represents what London is all about. Money, glamour, tourism, young and old."
Let's start with the origins, could you tell us when you joined The Ivy and The Ivy Club? 'I joined The Ivy in 1990 as Senior Maitre d', a position I held for eight years. I then left the company to re-launch Quo Vadis in Soho before undertaking consultancy work. I describe these times in my book The Ivy Now. Richard Caring then began The Ivy Club idea, and this was when I was lured back as Director of The Ivy in 2007.
Is the clientele still as vivid? 'The Ivy has always had a little glitter about it. It attracts an interesting, quirky crowd. It is frequently dotted with celebrities. Most restaurants are tribal. Soho, Shoreditch, The City. The Ivy represents what London is all about. Money, glamour, tourism, young and old. It's not a coincidence; everything is planned. The Ivy restaurant was established in 1917, even then it was a major attraction for film stars, artists and raconteurs.'
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